Chicago edges Dallas for first ever franchise victory

History was made at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night as the Chicago Hounds edged the Jackals 24-22 to claim their first ever victory as a franchise. Conversely for Dallas, it sets a new Major League Rugby mark for most consecutive defeats at 21. Played in frigid temperatures, the match was captivating from start to finish and both sides deserve credit for their efforts.

It was a stunning start for the visitors. A turnover gave them possession right from the kickoff, and the ball came wide to Marcos Moroni. The fullback turned on the gas and slid into the corner for the try. Adriaan Carelse’s conversion attempt had the direction but rang off the crossbar.

A mistake by Dallas in their own end gave the ball away to the Hounds. Mike Matarazzo made ground through a half-gap, then one phase later Matarazzo popped up again to send Mark O’Keeffe around the corner for draw the scores level. Luke Carty’s kick was pulled left of the uprights.

Soon after it was O’Keeffe breaking through the middle that set up a second try for the home side. The ball was recycled quickly and Carty’s cross-kick found Julián Domínguez, who stepped past one and carried two defenders over the line for his first score in a Chicago shirt.

Another O’Keeffe carry earned a penalty, and at the same time sent Eric Naposki from the field holding his shoulder. Chicago’s subsequent attack was repelled, however, and soon after Michael de Waal saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on that prevented a line break. A minute later the Jackals drove over from a lineout with Tomás Baravalle getting the credit in his Dallas debut.

Dallas won a second scrum penalty and then won a second penalty after a maul drove 15 meters upfield. They looked to have drove over for a third try but the TMO spotted an obstruction in the set-up and the score came off the board to leave it all square at halftime.

Baravalle was forced off just five minutes into the second half just as Carty landed a penalty goal after the Jackals advanced too quickly on a kick chase. More penalties led to a second three-pointer from Carty as the Hounds pushed out to a six-point lead.

It would turn into double-digits on the end of a long sequence of attack that started in Chicago’s own half. Chris Mattina took the ball over halfway, then Meakes made ground down the right side. Meakes got back into the line and fired a skip pass to Luke Beauchamp, who dummied and fired a flat ball to Dominguez. It wasn’t quite on target but the winger roped it in with his left hand and stepped around Aaron Gray to score in the corner.

Dallas were looking down and out until Jerónimo Gómez Vara scored a sensational try just after the hour mark. After going through several phases, the ball came wide left where Moroni beat three players and offloaded to his captain who sped free from 30 meters out. Carelse chipped over the conversion and suddenly it was a four-point game.

A dramatic moment came when O’Keeffe was singled out for a late hit on Carelse. It cost the Hounds 70 meters of territory, and another penalty put the Jackals on the doorstep. The backs piled into the lineout drive and Connor Robinson peeled off to score and give the visitors a one point lead. Moroni took over the kicking duties but pulled the kick wide right.

The Jackals pressed for another score but knocked on and the Hounds came roaring back. Mattina, now at flyhalf, sliced through a gap to win territory and Dallas were caught offside. It was Mattina himself who took the kick, his strike bisecting the uprights to swing the pendulum back towards the home side and set up the grandstand finish.

Again the visitors pushed into Hounds territory and after numerous phases pushed to the 22-meter line. Appropriately it was Chicago-born Paddy Ryan who put an end to the assault, winning a breakdown turnover with the clock in the red to the delight of his teammates.

Despite the bitter defeat, the Jackals can hold their heads high after outscoring their opponents four tries to two. They now travel to New England to face the Free Jacks next Saturday, while the Hounds welcome the Seattle Seawolves to Chicago on Sunday.

 

SCORING

CHICAGO 24
Tries (3) – M. O’Keeffe (15′), J. Domínguez 2 (20′, 57′)
Cons (0) – L. Carty 0/3
Pens (3) – L. Carty 2/2 (46′, 52′), C. Mattina 1/1 (77′)
YC (1) – M. de Waal (29′)

DALLAS 22
Tries (4) – M. Moroni (1′), T. Baravalle (30′), J. Gómez Vara (64′), C. Robinson (68′)
Cons (1) – A. Carelse 1/3 (65′), M. Moroni 0/1

 

TEAMS

CHICAGO HOUNDS
1 George Thornton (17 Timmy Ohlwein 61′), 2 Lindsey Stevens, 3 Charlie Abel (18 Paddy Ryan 58′), 4 Mike Matarazzo (19 Duke Krishnan 53′), 5 Luke White, 6 Luke Beauchamp, 7 Maclean Jones, 8 Michael de Waal (20 Dacoda Worth 67′), 9 Michael Baska, 10 Luke Carty (23 JP Eloff 67′), 11 Julián Domínguez, 12 Billy Meakes, 13 Bryce Campbell (capt.), 14 Mark O’Keeffe, 15 Chris Mattina

Not used: 16 Mason Koch, 21 Sidney Shoop, 22 Caleb Strum

DALLAS JACKALS
1 Nicolás Revol (16 Liam Murray 65′), 2 Tomás Baravalle (17 Connor Robinson 45′), 3 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 4 Sam Golla, 5 Lucas Bur, 6 Jerónimo Gómez Vara (capt.), 7 Conrado Roura, 8 Adriaan Booysen, 9 Nazareno Valentini, 10 Adriaan Carelse (21 Danny Christensen 67′), 11 James Vaifale, 12 Juan Pablo Aguirre (22 Campbell Johnstone 58′), 13 Tomás Malanos, 14 Eric Naposki (23 Aaron Gray 25′), 15 Marcos Moroni

Not used: 18 Kyle Steeves, 19 Carson Shoemaker, 20 Cameron Nelson

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Kat Roche (USA)
Assistants: Niall Little (USA) & Shawn Bastic (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)